Thanks to Frank Luntz, the GOP’s “go to guy” for political strategy and “word play”, once again the GOP has succeeded in blaming Democrats…in particular, Barack Obama of socialism because he wants to “redistribute the wealth”. They look for the candidate’s strongest points and turn it into a weakness/liability.
Wiki:
Luntz frequently tests word and phrase choices using focus groups and interviews. His stated purpose in this is the goal of causing audiences to react based on emotion. “80 percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how you think.” “If I respond to you quietly, the viewer at home is going to have a different reaction than if I respond to you with emotion and with passion and I wave my arms around. Somebody like this is an intellectual; somebody like this is a freak.”[2]
So my point is, the GOP knows that everyday business in Congress is in some form “redistributing” money from one source and giving it to another…whether it’s Farm assistance, State subsidies, tax breaks for the wealthy, bailouts, an economic stimulus, etc., it’s still redistributing the income of our government in several ways. It’s the nature of our Republic.
Frank Luntz
Yet, Luntz, et al know they are dealing with low information voters and people who generally hate the President so the “Obama is a communist” meme plays well enough to use it as often as possible but…with the following phrase: “Obama is a communist. He wants to redistribute the wealth to the poor, just like a communist.”
Think Progress
Mitt Romney economic adviser Emil Henry tripled down on the GOP presidential candidate’s claim that 47 percent of Americans are “dependent upon government” and see themselves as “victims” because they don’t pay federal income taxes, during an appearance on MSNBC’s Up with Chris Hayes on Sunday. “You have a president who errs towards, in the very least, an entitlement society, a society of hand downs, a society of 46 million people on food stamps,” Henry said, adding that Romney opposes Obama’s efforts to “redistribute” wealth to those with lower incomes.
He then advocated for Romney’s tax reform plan — which he likened to a flat tax — of lowering the marginal rates by 20 percent across the board and limiting exemptions and deductions for the richest Americans, while providing the middle class with tax relief. “I have heard him say this 100 times and I know this for a fact, he says taxes on rich folks are not going to go down because of the elimination of exemptions,” Henry added.
But when Hayes pointed out the inconsistency of the charge, noting that taxes on wealthy people would have to come down substantially if Romney seeks to eliminate the “redistribution” inherent in America’s progressive tax code, Henry conceded that Republicans would also transfer wealth from one group to another:
HAYES: There is a tension with the nonredistributed thing. Taxes on wealthy people have to go down. If he doesn’t believe in that, he has to reduce the burden of wealthy people. We have a barely, but progressive income tax. If he doesn’t believe in redistribution, he has to cut it for the wealthy. It’s not the case he is flattening the tax code and not lowering them for rich people. [...]
HENRY: If your point is that a progressive tax code, which is what the United States of America has and it’s the right thing, and it’s about fairness and fairness of opportunity, your point is there’s a technical element of redistribution by virtue of hiring –
HAYES: Not just technical — that’s redistribution. You are paying for it!
HENRY: Let’s be real about it. Let’s be real about this. When President Obama talks about redistribution, Chris, you know this is true, when he talks about redistribution, he is talking about a massive difference from the Romney plan, which is about simpler, lower marginal rates, getting rid of exemptions and lowering the corporate tax rate to attract business in America.
Watch it:
Related articles
- Voters Digusted With Negative Ads (usnews.com)
- Romney Campaign Admits Their Tax Plan Redistributes Wealth to the Rich (politicususa.com)
- The Fallacy of Redistribution (maverickphilosopher.typepad.com)
- Does Romney really hate wealth redistribution? (cbsnews.com)
- Romney Tries To Massage The 47 Percent Message (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)
- When the Big Debate Is Over Taxes, Progressives Have Lost (my.firedoglake.com)
- MSNBC Panel Baffled: Why Anyone Would Think ‘Redistribution Of Wealth’ Is Bad? (mediaite.com)
- ‘Redistribution’ isn’t just some Marxist idea (philly.com)
- Mitt Romney hits President Obama for ‘redistribution’ comment amid ’47 percent’ fallout (boston.com)
Romney’s camp is betting that when the low information or racist voter hears the word “redistribution” from Obama it translates as “mugging White people”.
Now this is funny!
Silly lovers of common sense, it’s not “redistribution” when it’s from the bottom to the top, it’s “paying your fair share.” I prefer to call it Fascism 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Touche’ SBS! Welcome.